The worst of your issue is your anxiety. The proceedure is nothing and you most likely will not remember anything. Please bring someone who can relay to you what the dr. said. Ask them to write it down as you will not remember

I know that you have do drink, or take pills to clear out your bowls. That will be the worst

Don't worry, you are on the road to healing and to define your issues. Look forward to it.

Good luck on Tuesday. I have not had a colonoscopy but I have had an endoscopy. The only thing I remember is laying on my side and the doctor directing me to swallow! I don't remember anything after that and didn't have any pain.

Being scared is a natural and normal reaction. But with sedation you should be fine and won't remember or feel anything.

Hey there, thank you so much for replying so quickly. I have to be on a liquid diet all day Monday and take 3 ounces of phosphosoda (sp?) Monday evening to clean out the good ol' system. My test isn't until early Tuesday afternoon. Thought I would go to work that morning to make the time go by faster. My bf has to work, so my parents are going to take me. Fortunately, my mom loves to write everything down That is a great idea though, I wouldn't have thought of having someone write down what he finds out.

I guess I am just anxious because I don't know what they are going to find. Having elevated IgG levels and other symptoms related to celiac disease, I am thinking he is going to confirm if I have that or not. I have been getting this terrible headache after eating and also, I am getting this burning feeling in my right upper quadrant rib cage area. Hmmm...I am just thinking the worst, I guess....not good to do Guess that is normal, huh?

(Never had the colonoscopy but I've heard that the preconceived notions are a lot worse than the actual procedure.)

As for worrying about what they will find... don't be nervous about them finding celiac disease! They discovered mine in May and my whole world turned out better because of it

Before the diagnosis I spent much of my life anxious, depressed, or angry. Now I wake up happy Life is good. The diet is a pain in the butt at times, but you will discover all sorts of tasty things that you would never have even tried before (Just don't discover Nana's chocolate cookies or Mac 'n' Chreese pasta - BLECH )

I wish you the absolute best in every way possible

- Michelle

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michelle

Positive blood tests 4/29/05 (tTG & IgA)
*Osteoporosis (at 32!)
*Heartburn/Reflux (*ouch!*)
*Lifelong battle w/depression
*Dental enamel didn't form right when I was little (cavities cavities cavities)
*Neuropsych analysis lists all sorts of learning disabilities - which may be attributed to brain injury from an old accident or may be from celiac, who knows!

Had biopsy May 11th, 2005 - villi are FLAT!
gluten-free since May 11th

As mentioned, I never had a colonoscopy but I have had a barium enema done before where I had to clean myself out the night before and I myself thought I'd be going to work the next morning but that didn't happen.

I went to the bathroom most of the night and into the morning and didn't get much sleep, just didn't feel great. I didn't know what to expect but now I do! No one told me I may not want to go to work.

So, you may want to consider taking off the entire day. You might have a better experience with the cleansing thing than I did but I wanted to warn you that your plan of going to work might be foiled.

I haven't had an endoscopy, but the worst part will be the prep for the colonoscopy. Once you get that down, it'll be a breeze! They will give you some great pain meds and memory suppressants and you'll be feeling quite good afterwards!

I was a little scared before my endoscopy but it was no big deal. I dont remember any of it. I actually liked the "nap" that I had. I was kind of drugged up and apparantly I was talking incoherently after the procedure. I dont remember though.

Thanks so much for your comforting words I just got back from buying my wonderful (sarcasm) liquid diet regimen for tomorrow I don't see why I have to have a liquid diet the day before if I am going to lose everything anyways when I do the prep
I guess I am scared too about choking on the scope when they do the endoscopy and as far as the colonoscopy goes, I guess I am just feeling a bit "violated" of having to have the procedure done
I think I might take chaddwell's advice and not go into work at all on Tuesday.....plus, I might be grumpy since I can't eat anything.

You are probably not going to want to work Tuesday morning. I was on the toilet for many hours before my colonoscopy. The worst part is the preparation, but you'll get through it. The actual tests are fine because you won't remember them.

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Tapioca intolerant
First cousin dx'd with Celiac Disease
Grandmother died of malnutrition b/c everything made her sick... sounds like celiac to me.
Gluten-free since June 2005
Dx with IBS February 2005
Blood tests both negative (or inconclusive?) for celiac (in 2002 and 2004)

Thanks so much for your comforting words I just got back from buying my wonderful (sarcasm) liquid diet regimen for tomorrow I don't see why I have to have a liquid diet the day before if I am going to lose everything anyways when I do the prep I guess I am scared too about choking on the scope when they do the endoscopy and as far as the colonoscopy goes, I guess I am just feeling a bit "violated" of having to have the procedure done I think I might take chaddwell's advice and not go into work at all on Tuesday.....plus, I might be grumpy since I can't eat anything.

Thanks again!

Hi,

I had the endo first. Don't be afraid of choking, they spray your throat with medication. It wipes out your gag reflex, as a matter of fact you can't de discharged until you get it back. They start an IV, usually with a medication called Versed and you are very relaxed, not really asleep but you usually don't remember anything after that. My nurses were so great they told me exactly what was going to happen, and were very reassuring. I'm a nurse myself but I had been sick for so long that everything was making me anxious. My doctor let me have the pictures, he found Barrett's ring around the esophagus, which could turn to Cancer, I have to be checked every 3 years after having 2 negatives. He didn't find any signs of Celiac and the biopsy was Neg. I'm glad I had it done, it compares with a mammogram or pap test, things we have to have done but don't particularly like.

As for the colonoscopy the prep was the worst, I took pills and was all finished the night before by 10pm.If I were you I wouldn't go to work, try to go to the hospital a little early in case they have a cancellation,maybe they could get to you sooner. The actual procedure was neat because I was half awake and I could see my intestines, I had a little pain when they pressed on my abdomen, he said I had an unusual amount of gas and that's why it hurt. Again you are in a twilight type of sleep and it's hard to remember. You will do just fine...

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The one resolution, which was in my mind long before it took the form of a resolution, is the key-note of my life. It is this,always to regard as mere impertinences of fate the handicaps which were placed on my life almost at the beginning. I resolved that they should not crush or dwarf my soul, but rather be made to blossom, like Aaron's rod, with flowers-Helen Keller

Hi, I had both procedures done on the same day back in June. As everyone said, the Colo. prep. is the worst part. I remember nothing after they wheeled me into the room and put the meds. into my IV. I woke up feeling fine--no discomfort at all. I think a lot of it is the fear of the unkown--I was so nervous before, too--the next time, I'll know what to expect and won't be nervous at all. Good luck--you'll do fine.

love to eat--i've had several of those procedures done--each was easy. the hardest part was not eating! if you have trouble drinking the "colon cleaner" if that's what they prescribe, i chased my glasses with some gum, helped me get them down. the worst thing i have had from one of the procedures was a slight sore throat afterwards...but nothing to worry about